


Into the Tunnel

by VenomQuill



Category: Original Work, Watching the World Burn - Fandom
Genre: Demon, Elf, Gen, Magic, Spirit - Freeform, These dudes are actually based on different characters in the story, Yes I'm aware Justus the dumak and Justice the wolf have similar names, dumak - Freeform, health is more important, watching the world burn: Corrupted - Freeform, water is important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenomQuill/pseuds/VenomQuill
Summary: Commander Kaline and her twin sister, Maylis, go out into the tunnels to find some water. Rather, Commander Kaline looks for water while Maylis bites at her heels. The tunnels are a place of doom, where each trip is never a guaranteed survival. From dwarves to tunnel collapses, aggressive food (such as tunnel leopards the size of grizzly bears) to the occasional wandering tormented ghost or demon, the tunnels are an aggressive place. Thankfully, the dumak have evolved to take control of such a wasteland, eating everything from beetles to giant cats, going days without food or water, and suffering days under battle or imprisonment without threat of death through neglect.Still, no amount of evolution or bravery prepares one for such an encounter as this.





	Into the Tunnel

**Author's Note:**

> Find it on Deviantart: http://fav.me/dcqiwzh

Commander Karine retreated from the small camp they’d made. “We’ve got more than a hunting patrol to keep alive, Maylis!” Commander Karine reminded her sister. Her scarlet eyes glanced back on occasion.

    The dumak warrior kept in close pursuit, her scarlet eyes narrowed and long, barb-tipped ears flicked back. Maylis huffed, “We’ve got plenty of water.”

    “You know as well as I this isn’t about water.” Commander Karine stopped and glared back at her.

    “What else could it be about? We’re not in the Clan. You can’t just scurry off and do your own thing!”

    “Neither can you!” Commander Karine hissed. “I’m looking out for the good of everyone! Even those humans and that big cat. I’ve only ever looked out for the safety and wellbeing of others.”

    Maylis laughed, though the sound was more reminiscent of a dwarf’s invitation than any real joy. “Oh, right. The good of everyone. You always have been, huh? Ever since you got yourself attacked outside when we both knew the Sun was out.”

    “Don’t you dare!” Commander Karine snapped. For the first time in a decades, her voice wavered. “That was decades ago–over a century! Now you’ve graduated top of your class and have a husband and four children. You have no reason at all to be bitter toward me.”

    Maylis huffed and rolled her eyes. “No reason at all. Yeah. Says the woman who literally fought her predecessor to get her job.”

    “I did nothing of the sort! Don’t change the subject. We’re not talking about me.”

    “Who were we talking about? Marguerite?” Maylis prompted coolly. “You have a nasty habit of talking about her behind her back. For her mentor and her dearest  _aunt_ , I’m shocked.”

    “Your sarcasm isn’t lost on me.”

    “Good.”

    “What are you two doing?”

    The twins looked back to see their friend joining them. Although visibly relaxed, his dark eyes darted between them with a cool, daring interest and caution.

    Justus went on, “Seriously, it’s not a good idea to go walking off like that!”

    “I was getting water,” Commander Karine stated. “And Maylis followed me. Justus, you should be getting back to camp; a half-blind dragon would think a group of surfacers an easy meal on their own.”

    “Yeah, no.” Justus shook his head. “Come on, you know better than this! What could be so important that you have to leave earshot of everyone?”

    Maylis cut in, “Nothing. Nothing at all. Actually, Justus, that’s a good idea. We should all be getting back.”

    “I’m not coming back empty-handed.” Commander Karine looked around the tunnels. Though the darkness impeded her, she could smell water nearby.

    “Great. Two sets of eyes are better than one!” Justus strolled up beside her and inspected the tunnel.

    “This is stupid,” Maylis huffed. “We don’t need any more water.” Her eyes traveled over the tunnels. “Honestly, what we need is–hold.” She tensed, and her gaze snapped down the tunnels in the direction in which they had come. A short skitter was followed by silence. Commander Karine and Justus stopped and stood up straight, looking down the tunnels in the direction Maylis watched.

    Commander Karine’s long, barbed ears flicked back. “I sense something nearby…”

    “Great.  _Sense._  Just what we need,” Mayline grumbled and unsheathed her swords. Justus quickly followed. Commander Karine sniffed the air and twitched one of her ears. Then, just as Commander Karine started to look elsewhere, the skittering noise appeared again.

    Justus shouted and backed up, swords raised before him. A giant shaggy, dark gray leopard pounced on him, knocking them both to the ground. Her long claws dug into his metal and bone armor and her spiked tail thrashed. She shrieked as one of Maylis’ swords cut into her side. Commander Karine threw her hand forward and barked,  _“Pulsolo!_ ” The cat rocketed backward, tail flailing and legs spread wide to catch herself as an invisible force shoved her. She’d hardly gotten to her paws when Maylis met her. Justus and Commander Karine ran around to flank her on either side. The demon ducked and whipped her tail, her long spikes ripping through Justus’ armor. She backed up as Commander Karine lunged at her and batted Maylis with both forepaws.

    Justus, as the demon focused on Maylis and Commander Karine, jumped onto her back. He’d hardly put his hand on her neck when she spun her head around at an unnatural angle, bit down on his arm, and ripped him off her back. She tore into the cracked armor on his chest and arm with a new fervor.

    Commander Karine snarled, “Maylis!” She took a step back and lunged at the demon. However, it was not she who ran into the beast currently maiming Justus. A large wolf, his midnight fur short and thick, barreled into her.

    The demon backed up and snapped at the wolf. The wolf hopped back so that Justus was behind him. “Back off before I break your legs and throw you back to your Plane!”

    The cat laughed, baring her fangs and whipping her tail as she did so. “You? A spirit-bound? A  _wolf_  spirit-bound? You think you, a spirit of loyalty, could defeat me, a demon of treachery? Gods above, I missed feeling this type of resistance. Hss!” She jumped back as the wolf charged her again.

    “Of course I can!” Justice growled. “Loyalty is a better virtue and holds more power than your  _sin_  has ever dreamt of feeling. Go back to your Plane before I send you back myself in pieces!”

    “Prove it.” The cat smacked at the wolf, driving him back. Justice bit down on her paw and shook his head. Hardly phased, the cat pulled back and swatted Justice in the face. As the wolf let go and she fell forward onto her front paws, the disoriented wolf lunged and snapped his jaws under her neck.

    The cat backed off, choking and snarling and batting at Justice. The wolf ripped his head from side to side. As his teeth started to slip through her thick fur, he opened his mouth wider and lunged forward. The cat flipped onto her back and grabbed the wolf’s shoulders with her front claws. She curled up into herself and tore into his belly and side with her hind legs. Justice let go and struggled to slip out of her grasp. She bit down on his neck and concentrated completely on tearing him apart. As she tasted the sweetness of spirit blood, of the mixture of mortal blood and spirit magic, she growled, “Remember this,  _Justice._ ”

    She spat him out and threw him onto the ground beside her. She hopped to her feet and stamped her paw onto the battered wolf’s neck. “I am stronger than you. I always have been, I always will be. Nightshade is my name. If you  _ever_  get the thought that  _maybe_  you’re better than the half-dead runt you were born to be… well…” she chuckled and lowered her head so that her bloody mouth was close to his torn ear. “Just call me again.”

    Justice flailed and gagged, his claws scratching the stone beneath him and the foreleg he could reach. But, as she stopped speaking, he glared up into her eyes with the fight and hate he’d held for so long. She lifted her paw a little to allow him to breath. “Die!” he wheezed.

    She sneered and then roared and spun around. Her tail, spiked and thick, flopped to the ground below her. Maylis shrieked a war cry and cut into her shoulder and chest before the cat could back up completely.

    Nightshade hopped to the side and deflected Maylis’ swords with her talons. Then, Maylis dropped her weapons and ducked under her. Nightshade roared and battered the woman’s left arm with her hind leg as she wrapped her arms around the cat’s belly and suplexed her. Maylis’ hands released Nightshade. Within seconds, her swords were deep in the cat’s side and belly. Nightshade rolled onto her paws, hissing and spitting and coughing out blood. She lowered her head to bare her horns. Maylis, swords firm in her grip, stayed firm in her stance, snarling right back. Nightshade charged. Maylis ducked out of the way.

    The demon stumbled to a halt, wide eyes staring at her bloody paws. Blood dribbled out of her throat as the sword that punctured her head cut through her throat. The undying demon let out a pitiful growl and attempted to turn. Maylis tore her sword from its gory sheath. Without a breath wasted, Nightshade turned and bounded into the tunnels, ramming into the wall as she did so.

    Justice groaned and shut his eyes. Fur turned to armor and claws turned to nails. Soon, the spirit wolf had been replaced by the noble commander. Although her armor was whole and unbroken, blood drenched the stone below her and sifted through the chinks and soaked the leather. Maylis sheathed her swords and heaved her equally as heavy twin up into her arms. Justus held onto her side. As they limped back to where their camp was, Maylis hissed under her breath, “You stay alive, understand me? I’m not done with you! If you die before I get my godsdamn point across, I will go into the spirit plane or demon plane or wherever the hell you go–I’ll go to October if he doesn’t feel like making you a spirit or demon or whatever–and I  _will_  fight you. Understand?”

    Commander Karine’s head lolled back and she stared at the ceiling with half-open eyes.

    “Come on, respond! I’ve seen you get hurt worse in dwarven patrols, don’t tell me a puffed up cat from another Plane of existence is really that much worse! Justus, you say something!”

    “I feel faint,” Justus wheezed.

    “ _Great help_. Come on, keep awake! Yeah, the both of you. Justus, for the sake of the gods, talk some sense into Karine!”

    “Don’t… need to…” Justus gasped. “Too… stubborn to… to…’” he coughed and groaned.

    “To what? Listen to you? Die? Well, yeah, she’s too stubborn to die. Of course I know  _that._  I was born with her. Technically, I am fifteen minutes older. So,  _she_  happened to  _me._  I was… there. I was there. She’s a… puffed up… commander. Archon Alphonsine’s little… little pet. You… can’t… die,” Maylis wheezed. “Nope, can’t… talk… holding you, you fat dragon.”

    Finally, Maylis could hear voices. She looked up to find the surfacers and Marguerite. Her daughter rushed up to them, her round eyes staying on her unmoving aunt. Clementine, a bag of medical supplies donning her like a tree full of fruit, rushed up to them. The bigger human man, Blythe, struggled to keep up.

    Maylis forced herself down to one knee and lay her sister down. Justus collapsed beside her. Clementine, the half-elf, started yelling and commanding people. Marguerite took Maylis by the arm and helped her sit down.

**Author's Note:**

> Commander Kaline goes out to fetch some water for the patrol she'd leading to the surface while her twin sister--Maylis--argues with her. Their mutual friend, Justus, appears to attempt to separate them. Though the twins were much too stubborn for even Justus to handle, an outside force could do the trick...  
> (I couldn't decide between minor or major so I kept it safe)
> 
> Set in Yosime. Kaline, Maylis, and Justus are all mountain elves. :) These peeps are from an original story: "Watching the World Burn: Corrupted"! Find it on Amazon/Kindle under Julie ate Autumn!


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